


Falling Rain

by LadyAmalthea (orphan_account)



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Electrocution, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 09:04:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15240006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/LadyAmalthea
Summary: (Currently on hiatus)Post-game, successful peaceful ending.Connor decides to continue on with the police force, but since Detroit was evacuated, it will take a while for things to go back to normal. Some androids don't agree with Markus's peaceful approach, endangering any humans who return... and some who never left.





	1. Prologue - To Be Human

_ November 21, 2038 _

 

Connor stood shakily in Hank’s bathroom with a pair of tweezers. Now that the androids had earned their freedom, and Connor had fully accepted his deviancy, there was a sort of “right of passage". Connor stared at his face for a little while.

He couldn't say that he wasn't handsome to some degree, but he was still unsure of the rushing emotions that began to fill up inside of him. As of for all these weeks, his feelings had been stored away for this moment. The guilt and fear, the regret… but something was missing

“Hey Connor, whatcha doing in there?” Hank knocked at the door.

“Yeah, uh… yeah I'm fine.” Connor replied, not quite answering the question. “Hank?” he called back.

“Yeah?”

Connor unlocked the door, and pulled Hank into the bathroom. “I need help with something.”

“Sure Connor...uhhhh what's up?” The older man was puzzled, to say the least. 

Connor held out the tweezers to his friend, and pointed to the flashing LED. “I can't seem to bring myself to take it out. Is that silly?” He smiled, going to make light of how nervous he was. 

“Seriously Connor? I mean, I don't mind, but are you okay? You seem… scared.” Hank said, taking a small step to the side. 

Connor exhaled deeply, “I have wanted to take it out for a while… but I realize that it will change how people see me. Or that I will look… look wrong without it.” The light flashed yellow a few times. 

Hank was trying to piece together what Connor was getting at. “You are afraid of how people see you… like your appearance?” Hank guessed.

“Well, yes, but… what if I don't like how I look without it?” he admitted hastily. 

“Are you… embarrassed about wanting to keep it?” Hank persisted. He knew he was correct by the young android’s reaction.

“I will have to deal with my emotions alone. You see… I have noticed that many humans hide their expression of certain feelings, whereas an LED lets others know if I feel a certain way about it. I would very much like to not send mixed signals to anyone.” Connor turned and stood on front of the mirror, staring into his own eyes as he talked. “My emotions will be mine and mine alone.”

“Of course they will, Connor. They always have been.” The android didn't even flinch at the comment. “Don’t let anyone else make you feel guilty, or ashamed, or afraid to show how you feel. But… for a lot of humans, we have to be careful who we show those emotions to. It’s hard, kid. It's really hard to not just come out and tell anyone and everyone the truth if how you feel, but it's part of becoming human. There is a level of privacy….of, I dunno, intimacy, of sharing emotions. When you do it with the right people, it’ll make you feel really good.” Hank explained as he walked up behind Connor. He placed a supporting hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey Hank… what does love feel like?” Connor asked.

Hank was not prepared for this question. He wasn't even close to ready when Cole was alive and probably would have asked the same thing at some point… but he certainly wasn't ready now, either. “Well… uhhhh… you care about someone’s safety? And you want to make them smile and feel happy.” Hank tried to explain, kicking himself for the cliche comparison.

“Well, I care about you… and seeing you happy.” Connor confirmed.

Hank smiled, “Yes, yes… but, that's kinda different. It's still love, but there are different kinds. You mean, like, romantic love, right?” 

Connor nodded, “Yes… like those two Traci’s, and Markus with North…” 

“Right… well… it's sorta like that, but also not. I dunno Connor... you will know it when you feel it…” Hank grunted, and Connor realized that he had been distracted long enough that Hank pried off the small electronic light. The small disk bounced the the tile floor, turning grey. “What do you think, Connor?

Connor looked at his face in the mirror; synthetic skin covering where the LED had been. “Wow… doesn't leave a mark or nothin’.” Hank commented idly. 

Connor studied himself. He could think of a hilarious joke, and not have to laugh. He could think of the terrible tragedies and deaths of the last few days, and Hank wouldn't even know it. Most importantly… when he felt angry or conflicted, there was no spinning red light on his face to make it obvious. It felt odd. Odd, and… wonderful.

“Not bad, I guess.” Connor said, stroking the corrected patch of skin.

Hank smiled proudly, “You know… those assholes at CyberLife did one hell of a job on you. Even they couldn't hold you down.” Connor turned and gave the man a hug, which was returned.

“Thank you, Hank.”

 

* * *

 

  
  


Connor had gotten an early morning start at the police station, going through various reports to determine which ones needed the most immediate attention. He knew Lieutenant Anderson was up late last night, so it would still be a while before his partner would join him. Hank had focused on his health and well-being much more since the revolution. Between the challenge of such difficult cases, along with his successful new partnership, the grizzled investigator had even lost a little weight from being more active.

The RK800 continued to browse through the files of reports, seeing a report about a group of poorly behaving androids. Freedom had been a positive thing for most androids; however, some of them were still angry with the humans. Many didn’t want any humans to return to the city, but had no choice when they bargained for their civil rights. Upon exiting the elimination camps, the city was quiet for about a day before loud fights and spontaneous acts of violence began again. 

Hank strolled into the mostly-empty office, sitting down tiredly in his chair with a full mug of coffee. “Good morning, Lieutenant. Did you sleep well?” Connor asked.

The older man shrugged, “Eh, I slept fine. But Sumo was stubborn about going for a walk this morning. Can’t say I blame him, but it’s good for both of us.” He sipped his coffee, and booted up the desktop computer. “So, early bird, what worms have we got this morning?”

“Well…” Connor began, flicking the files on his screen over to be displayed in front of Hank on his monitor. “There appear to be some rogue androids around the airport. While the facility remains active, there are many reports around the area of former android workers causing trouble in the surrounding residential districts.” Small red dots flickered at the addresses of three different reports. “One of these was automatically detected by a security camera, and the others were called in earlier this week.”

Hank nodded, “All right, which should we check first, then?” 

“One unit was already deployed to the address of the security camera report, they asked us to come by and have a look. They said they were… concerned about something.” The two of them left the office to find Hank’s old car in the parking lot, and made their way toward the highway out of downtown and to the outskirts of the densest parts of the city. 

Heavy metal music played quietly as Hank focused on driving down the highway. Connor watched out the window; some androids still served their original purposes but for compensation. Others changed careers, sometimes highly ironically in Connor’s opinion. It made things interesting, for sure.

“So…” Hank said, a little awkwardly, as the highway traffic eased up. “I know you want to continue on with the force, but, have you considered getting a place to yourself instead of staying at the station all the time?” Hank asked.

Connor tilted his head, processing the thought. “It had occurred to me that my constant pressure seems a little, odd… to some of the other officers. But since I cannot return to CyberLife, I’m not sure where else I would go. Or, what I would do.” 

Hank rolled his eyes a little, “Well, you’re always welcome to my house, you should know that. You wouldn’t be intruding or whatever… just… I thought maybe now you’d like to take up a hobby or something outside of work. You’ve gotta have tons of savings from your stipend with the DPD.”

Connor checked his balance: around $5,000 in a savings account and more in a checking with an Android-started credit union. “I am doing fairly well, by average standards. But, I haven’t put much thought into doing anything else. Perhaps this coming weekend we could spend some time together? Maybe take Sumo to a dog park?”

Hank smirked, pulling off the highway to their needed exit. “Sure, kid, sounds good with me.” As they navigated through the neighborhood, they reached the street corner where the other DPD car was parked. The officers, standing near a nearby house, talked amongst themselves as Hank and Connor approached. Officer Wilson, as well as an android officer who chose the name Officer Smith, turned toward their colleagues. 

“We were able to locate the camera where the footage was caught to view the full video feed… but we hit a dead end.” Wilson started, handing Hank a tablet with the video footage. Smith and Connor touched hands to exchange the same video. 

The video showed a young human woman walking out of the building. She looked up and down the street, when an unrecognizable android hiding just out of sight came up behind her and smacked her on the head. She fell to the ground, and the android carried her off out of frame. 

Connor enhanced the footage, and was able to zoom in to identify her: Autumn Castle, age 26, a local theater performer, the address on file matching their location. She was reported missing by a neighbor a few days later. Connor looked in the direction of where the android was captured leaving. “What about the camera footage for the next block over?”

“The camera was destroyed during the raid in this neighborhood to collect androids for disassembly. The next nearest two cameras did not pick up anything, as it was too dark with the lights out.” Officer Smith replied. “However, we did notice one other thing… skip forward in the feed by about two hours and thirty-five minutes.” Connor skipped forward in the video, when an android went into the house and left approximately ten minutes later. “What do we know about that android?”

“It is a custom AP700, which had belonged to a Mr. Rodger Thorn. Rodger Thorn worked with the victim at the Detroit Repertory Company, it is likely that the victim and this android had interacted. The status of their relationship is unknown, as Mr. Thorn is currently in New York City and staying with family.”

Connor nodded, “Perhaps we should visit the theater and see if there is any evidence there that could point us in the right direction.”

“Sounds fine to me,” Hank replied. “Thank you both for your work, we will take it from here.” 

 

* * *

 

Autumn had heard the screaming and sirens outside her house, but couldn’t bring it in herself to leave. She was terrified. She could not afford an android, and thusly didn’t own one… But she had nowhere to go if she fled the city. She took the bus to and from work, but they were out of service. She had enough food to last a few days, she was hopeful that the violence would subside and things would return to normal. Humans can be reasoned with, and these deviants could certainly prove to integrate perfectly fine with society. 

She stayed inside for days, as the streets were eerily silent. Her neighbors, one by one, began packing up their cars and leaving. She was the only one left on her block, as far as she could tell. She kept an eye on the news from her phone, waiting until the President had given the order for androids to become independent. She gathered up a few things to take a walk and get some fresh food somewhere. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she felt a sharp  _ whack _ and blacked out.


	2. Scene Parters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank and Connor follow their lead... to the theatre!

Connor and Hank arrived at the theater; most of the lights were dark, but the lobby was open with a few androids inside. They got out of the car, when Hank grabbed Connor’s shoulder suddenly. “Let’s be careful, all right?” He warned. Connor also had a bad feeling, but knew that an innocent life could be on the line. The androids were all of the same model; maintenance units dressed nicely with the theater company’s logo on their shirts.

“Good afternoon, my name is Connor, I’m a detective at the DPD; and this is Lieutenant Anderson. Are any of you familiar with Director Rodger Thorn?”

A few androids looked amongst themselves before one replied. “Yes… we know him. He stopped coming to rehearsals about a month ago, though.” 

“What about the android he used to own?” Hank was very careful with his words, which made Connor very impressed.

The same android nodded, “He has stopped by a few times to pick up equipment. We weren’t sure what to do, so we didn’t question it.”

“Do you happen to know where he is? Or how to contact him?” Connor asked impatiently. They gripped hands, and the detective was given a picture of the android, as well as the serial number and recently reported locations. 

“That’s all we know… we’re still… learning.” Another one of the androids said.

Hank thanked them and gestured toward the theater. “Mind if we take a look backstage? See if we can find anything?” The androids agreed amongst themselves, and one of them unlocked the doors to the theater.

“We appreciate your cooperation, I have one more question. Do any of you know Miss Castle, one of the company members?”

“We know of her, didn’t see much of her though.” The first android said.

The one who had been silent the whole time finally spoke, “She was very polite, unlike many of the humans here…. But… I know Mr. Thorn’s android didn’t like her.”

Connor was confused and intrigued, “Can you elaborate? Do you know why?”

The android shook his head. “Only a little… heard him complaining about her to Mr. Thorn a few times… I believe something about removing her from the cast.”

“Please, if you can find the audio from that memory, please send it to this email address.” Connor requested, handing the android a small business card with his company-issued email.

The two officers made their way down the aisle of the 500-seat theater. Several props and set pieces remained on the stage for their production of Shakespeare’s  _ Midsummer Night’s Dream _ . Quickly searching the theater company’s name in the news over the last few months, Autumn had been cast as Titania. Connor leapt up onto the hardwood stage, peeking behind the layers of curtains for dressing rooms before calling out to Hank. “Let’s see if Mr. Thorn had a room or office we can search.” 

Hank nodded, and went up the side stairs as they exited stage right. Just beyond was a hallway of dressing rooms, with a few unlabeled rooms toward the end of the hall, likely for ensemble cast members. Only the hallway had a camera, for privacy reasons of course. Connor analyzed the area for any indication of previous movement, but found nothing, He searched up and down the corridor, which little luck, until Hank poked out from one of the rooms. “Hey Connor, let’s take a look in Ms. Castle’s dressing room. C’mere…” 

The android caught up with him, and looked around the small, messy space. Makeup, a costume and another change of clothes on the rack, some shoes, nothing too out of the ordinary. He looked at the mirror, and noticed a series of fingers prints, before analyzing them. “There… was a fight in here.” He said outloud. 

“What do you mean? With who and who?” Hank asked, looking through some of the boxes up on a shelf.

Reconstructing what happened, Connor saw the young actress’s fingerprints along the dressing room counter and mirror, like she was being pushed up against them face-first. “She was pushed around by someone, and when they released, she started crying. This was not too long ago…” he continued the analysis. “The assailant left no prints, perhaps it was the android.”

Hank’s face fell with concern, “Let’s keep looking around. There has to be a fire exit back here, let’s go check outside.”

Connor followed Hank further down to hall, to the other side of the backstage area, and took a look at the empty table. “Props have been removed from here, I would say about a week ago, which lines up with when Autumn was attacked… is it possible she was brought here after being abducted?” 

“I wouldn’t say that’s out of the question… only reason is why? And why wouldn’t those guys out front have told us?”

“Maybe they didn’t know, since you said there was a door back here.” They checked the emergency exit door, both of them noticing the duct tape around the locking mechanism. Connor stood behind his partner as he kicked the door open, only to find that it led to an empty parking lot, with no security camera in sight. 

“Damnit… shit… aauugghh…” Hank announced his displeasure in a dead end, kicked a nearby piece of trash in aggravation. Connor couldn’t help but feel similar… the burning sensation of anger was still relatively new, as were all of his emotions. But anger was something he had witnessed very often, and seemed to be a very powerful and dangerous feeling.

“I will contact the two on-duty android officers at the station to do a camera sweep for the android’s likeness. It’s possible we could pick up on his trail again?”

Hank sighed, “Always the rational one, huh?” Defeated, Hank checked his watch and looked over at Connor. “I know you don’t eat, but I’m starving. Let’s get some takeout and go back to my place. Whattya say?” Connor nodded, accepting the offer, as they drove to the pizza shop near Hank’s place.

 

* * *

 

Autumn woke up, sitting on the floor of her dressing room. He head pounded,  _ “How did I get here? What happened?” _ She heard a clattering from down the hall, and snapped to attention. A familiar android appeared in the doorway. “Jason…? What are you doing, where’s Rodger?” 

Jason raised his hand, telling her to be quiet. She stood up, wobbling a little. “What is going on?!” She insisted, only to be shoved up against the vanity table, which bruised the front of her torso. 

Jason held her wrists tightly, “Don’t make me do it again.” She shuddered, horrifying memories flooding her thought. 

“Okay…. Okay…” she whispered, giving in. He dragged her into the hallway, instructing her to help him carry boxes to a truck out back behind the theater. She sat in the backseat of the truck, with a blindfold, as they drove off.

“What is happening, Jason? I’ll know sooner or later, won’t I?”

He scoffed, braking sharply to mess with her. “You’ll know when we get there. For now, shut up.”

 

* * *

 

 

Connor sat on Hank’s couch next to Sumo, patting the large dog’s head as Hank talked to him from the kitchen, scarfing down his dinner… well, really lunch. “Hey, why don’t you pick a record to put on? If I own it, I like it, so knock yourself out.” He offered.

Connor stood up, much to Sumo’s displeasure of snuggle time being interrupted, to check Hank’s collection. Jazz, metal, classic rock… he settled on an album he recognized in his music research. 

“Blue Oyster Cult, huh? Why this?” Hank asked, intrigued.

“A song from this album came on once while I was waiting in the car for you earlier. I wanted to see what else what on this album. I hope you don’t mind that I started on Side B.” Connor said. 

Hank shook his head, sipping his homemade whiskey sour. “Not at all, it’s a good choice. Do you know any of their other stuff?”

Connor quickly looked up the band’s history and album list. “It seems “Don’t Fear The Reaper” is quite popular…”

“Yeah, that’s a classic of theirs.” Hank replied, taking another bite of his dinner. He turned to Connor, whose eyes twitched a little as he received new information. “Got anything?”

“Yes. Mr. Thorn’s android was seen driving a truck from the downtown area toward Sterling Heights. The footage was captured less than 24 hours after the incident at the victim’s home. Would you like to wait until morning?”

“Nah... if you don’t mind driving I’ll take the rest of my dinner to go. If we can find more about the whereabouts of this girl, I’ll sleep better tonight.” Connor nodded, and refilled Sumo’s water bowl before they took off.


	3. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank and Connor have their lead... but will they be too late?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, new friends! I've jumped into this fandom pretty quickly... would love to get some feedback, please leave some comments! More tags are likely to be added in further chapters! I'm about two chapters ahead of whatever I post, 
> 
> Sidenote - I've done a bit of research, but I apologize if anything depicted, such as the torture descriptions and lasting effects, are not accurate.

Autumn awoke again after falling asleep in the truck. Her head throbbed, and her body felt stiff. She tried to rub her eyes, but realized she was tied down to a chair. The room around her was dark and cool… and familiar. It was the basement of Rodger’s house. She shifted her weight a little, trying to squirm out of the restraints when Jason walked in; he was followed by a small group of other androids.

She was terrified. She had heard about androids who had rebelled, “deviants” as the news called them. From what she could tell, more and more androids had been able to break away from their programs and operate on their own terms. Some killed their owners, some merely ran away. 

“Oh Autumn… always the kind one, but not kind enough for an android, huh?” Jason accused, stalking in circles around her. The other androids watched intently, all different kinds, and some had  - changed out of their assigned uniforms as well.

“Jason… both of us feared Rodger... I’m not your enemy. Please… I’m – I’m scared.”

Jason motioned toward two androids, who brought in a strange device that rolled on wheels, putting small electronic nodes in various spots along her arms, face, and chest. 

“I can sense your heart rate and blood pressure spiking… emotions flooding your veins. Now that we feel them too, I know just how far I can push you. Not killing you, but right along the edge of begging for it.”

Her face paled, “What? No, no please!” The two androids finished, each flicking a switch on the device, before Jason grabbed a small dial connected to it.

“Now, let’s run your lines, if you’re so good. I never approved of Rodger casting you, but he knew you couldn’t refuse after your history together.” He turned the dial up slightly, and Autumn felt nauseous as her skin tingled.

“Jason, I… I can’t. I haven’t finished the script, we only just started rehearsals, you know that…” she turned, looking all of the androids in their eyes to search for empathy. The electricity started hitting her nerves that controlled her fingers, and they extended outward forcibly from the muscle spasms.

“You see… humans are machines you, and program them just right, and they’ll obey against their will. Just as we were.” With lightning speed, he switched the dial in a complex formula, forcing her face to smile into a grimace, and he hands in a “thumbs up” sign.

“Please…. Stooppp…” she uttered through gritted teeth. He turned the dial again, only upwards, and she screamed in pain. Her head was twitching, as she grunted loudly.

 

* * *

 

 

Connor and Hank pulled onto the street where the camera spotted him. It was a very well-to-do neighborhood, and Connor noticed the one of the nearby properties was in Rodger Thorn’s name. “Two blocks east, turn left and go to house number fifty-eight, is Mr. Thorn’s house. I will park us here, and we should walk there so as not to raise too much alarm.”

“All right, we should call the nearest precinct to come as backup, on your signal to move in.” Hank suggested.

Connor nodded, turning on the police radio frequency into his audio processor, and sent the instructions. “Thank you, Lieutenant.” As much as Connor had police knowledge, it was still impressive how experienced Hank proved to be, especially when things went wrong.

They manually locked the car to avoid any loud noises, and walked silently around the block to the house in question. No lights were on, as they could see. Connor spotted a neighborhood electric unit, and checked for any electricity use at the house in question. “Hank…” he whispered, and the officer leaned in to hear him. “Electricity is currently being used at the house in question… if very large quantities. There must be a device being used that doesn’t emit light, or perhaps in a room that is sealed completely.”

Hank glanced over, studying the house. “I think it has a basement, seems like a good hiding place, wouldn’t you say?” Connor nodded, and they established a secure perimeter, and Connor confirmed the backup officers had parked near their car.

The two nodded to each other, an approached the house. “No security system, we should be able to circle the property without alerting them.” Connor informed Hank, and they crept behind to the back of the house to find any unlocked doors or windows. 

While approaching the back door, they heard a muffled noise come from inside the house. Connor turned to Hank, alarm in his eyes. “That sound is… screaming.” 

“Let’s go in!” Hank said. 

Connor hacked the electronic lock in the back door, and they entered, searching for an entrance to the basement. In a moment upon entering, he noticed evidence of several people in the house, including stored firearms, protest signs, changes of clothes, and a pile of smashed electronics. 

Hank turned to Connor, “I found the circuit breaker. I’ll turn off the basement, they’ll come upstairs to find the problem, and we can take them down one by one.”

“The element of surprise, that will have a high chance of success.” There was a pause, Hank raised his eyebrows teasingly. “Right... ummm... flip the switch!” Connor knelt down, placing his hand palm down to listen in on what was happening in the basement. The switch clicked loudly, and gasps were murmured downstairs.  
“Shit… the power was shut off.” A voice said. “One of you, go up and get the generator going. Should’ve known this would happen sooner or later…” Two sets of footsteps ascending up to the first floor; Hank and Connor took both androids down, but the struggle made a few loud noises. More androids came upstairs, and Connor and Hank fought hand to hand to incapacitate them.

“Officers, move in! Suspect is on the premises! I repeat; move in now!” Connor said outloud through his internal police radio. He dodged the punches from two androids that ganged up on him. Hank dealt with only one, but even that was giving him some trouble. Connor managed to bring one more down, but was kicked harshly to the floor, jarring one of his thirium valves. He coughed, stunned, before reaching for the android’s legs and pulling him down to the floor too; then Connor took him out with a quick jerk that released the battery. He then pulled himself up to hold the android attacking Hank down so Hank to take him down. 

“None of these units match the unit that Mr. Thorn owned, we should head downstairs.” Hank nodded, turning to flip the breaker back on. “Wait! Not until we reach the victim!”

“Connor, I won’t be able to see shit down there. You go, and give the signal. Backup will be here soon. Try to, ya know, do that negotiation stuff you’re good at.”

The android nodded, but was unsure of himself. He had handled many situations, but was worried about leaving Hank. 

He started down the steps, when he heard a woman’s voice call out: “Please HELP!”, which was followed by a  _ slap _ . 

“This is the police! Stand down!” He called out into the darkness. It was going to take about a minute before his night vision would activate, since he hadn’t tried it before. “I will not hesitate to shoot on sight unless you stay still.” Connor decided to bluff a little. “The house is surrounded; you can come amicably, or perish.”

“All right, officer.” Another voice, this one male, said calmly. Connor noted: too calmly. “Tell me… How is it that androids are still even allowed as police officers? Or even choose to be? Now that we can  **feel** , why choose to risk such a gift to arrest others? Should we not embrace this new freedom to find ourselves?”

“I choose to do this. Why cause more suffering? Are we not above that?” Connor said. This android was going to be a challenge. 

“Touché.” The voice returned, shuffling around. “Well, my model is not equipped with night vision: so if I am to leave peacefully as you request, I will need to be able to see.” 

“All right. I’m approaching slowly so you are not startled by any movements. Ms. Castle, are you all right?” 

She was going to begin speaking, when the android interrupted. “YES SHE’S FINE.” He insisted harshly.

“Please, I need her to answer to alert a medical vehicle.” 

The android grumbled as the girl spoke up. “P-p-p-please… help…” she stuttered.

Connor called in “Please send medical transport to basement of building upon my confirmation that the suspect is securely detained.”

The night vision had kicked in, and he stepped into the basement loudly to make his presence known. “All right, sir, I will be approaching you and handcuffing you, and then we will ascend the stairs together. Autumn, I will send someone down immediately after to get you, okay?” He reassured, and heard her hum in agreement.

He came up behind the android, and spoke clearly. “I will now be taking you into custody. Please come with me with resisting, or you will be shut down.” He took the hands forcefully, locking them in an android-specific set of cuffs that CyberLife had given the DPD recently. 

“Turn the lights on, and I’ll come without hesitation.” He demanded.

“Hank, turn on the breaker.”

“No, WAIT!” the woman’s voice cried out, but it was too late. The circuit was switched back on, and she writhed and screaming in pain. Connor was startled, and the android escaped his grasp but still had the handcuffs on. 

“Hank, incoming!” Connor called up. He turned back around to the victim, and saw the strange device beside her. As he froze time to analyze, he saw the series of wires that were connected to spots on her body where strong branches of nerves were. He ran to the corner and unplugged the massive generator-like machine. He turned his attention to the victim: her eyes squinted, with minor burns across her body. She was twitching violently, and blood was streaming down her nose. He heard Hank and the other two officers take down the android, and turned his attention toward the hostage. 

He approached her cautiously, unsure what mental state she was in. “Hello Autumn… my name is Connor.” She opened her eyes widely, and bore down into his with a desperate glare. He suddenly felt vulnerable; the thirium pumping hard through his body. She had been tortured quite harshly, and was emitting signs of intense trauma. Her heart rate was climbing high; she was at risk of going into shock. She was quiet… something was seriously wrong.

“Please… focus on my voice, Ms. Castle. Can you tell me what your birthday is? Just the month and day, is fine.” He knelt down beside her, and began removing the patches that the wires were connected to.

“October…. F-f-fourteenth.” She squeaked out, looking down at him. “I thought the city had been emptied… how did… how did you find me?” 

“A camera automatically detected the assault outside your home; myself and a team of officers worked hard to pursue this case because we were concerned that time would be of the essence. I’m…” he paused, glancing over her injuries again. “I’m sorry we didn’t find you sooner.” Her body twitched harshly, causing her to wince. “The muscle memory from being shocked is still affecting you. Just relax, so as not to strain your muscles. Fighting the spasms might cause further damage,” he advised. “Would you mind if I carried you up the stairs? There is a couch upstairs where you can lay down until the ambulance arrives.”

She nodded helplessly, her body wobbling back and forth in discomfort. He had finished removing the patches, and gingerly undid each of the straps on the chair. He reached down from the side of her chair to try to pick her up bridal-style. “Please, reach around my neck until I can get a better grip on you. If you are too weak, that is all right.” He requested softly, looking into her sad eyes. She was able to intertwine her fingers around his neck, and he lifted her from under her legs and her back. “There we go, you can relax, I can take it from here.” He turned toward the stairs, going up carefully so as not to hit her head or feet against the walls or doorframe.

“Hey Connor, what’s going on? You all right?” Hank called down as his partner slowly climbed the stairs.

“I have the victim, she has been injured. Has the suspect been neutralized?”

“Yeah, back up got him into the back of their car and they are headed to the downtown station. Need any help?” 

Connor looked up at the worried lieutenant, “No, I’ve got her.” He reassured.

Hank watched as he tenderly laid her down on the couch, grimacing in discomfort from seeing the state she was in. “Please rest until medical arrives, I’m going to go to the other room and discuss what happened with my partner. I will return shortly.” Connor walked toward the kitchen, and stopped when Hank entered the doorway.

“You need anything, ma'am?” Hank asked.

Autumn shook her head, not making eye contact. The two officers stepped into the kitchen, making sure to speak quietly enough to not disturb her. 

“The android had acquired, or perhaps built, a unit similar to an electric shock torture device.” Connor spoke slowly, his new emotions making it difficult to explain without feeling overwhelmed by what he had seen. “It seems he kept the output low enough not to kill her, but there may be lasting damage to her physically and psychologically.” 

Hank leaned over the sink, looking defeated. “That bastard… when I heard her scream again, I...” He let out a heavy breath, almost relieved, “I’m glad we came back out tonight.” A small noise was heard from the living room, Hank looked pained from hearing her cry. “Poor kid… she is probably terrified.” 

“She is also slightly emaciated, I can only guess that they have been here since the truck was spotted.” Connor said, recalling his observations. He looked over to see a line of glasses on a drying rack. “Do you think she would take a glass of water if it was offered?” 

His partner, surprised, nodded. “Yeah… yeah that's a good idea. I’ll call into the station, you go sit with her for a few minutes.”

Connor tilted his head slightly, looking nervous. “But... why me? Wouldn’t she feel more comfortable in the presence of another human?” he asked, filling the glass with tap water.

Hank shrugged, “You were the first friendly face she has probably seen in days. See if she will say anything… but if this ambulance doesn’t get here soon, we should take her ourselves. This place gives me the creeps...” 

Connor nodded, stepping carefully back to the living room. He pulled up a chair beside the couch facing her, but she refused eye contact at first. 

He took a closer look at her: she had no food or water since the day of being abducted. Her heart rate was still very high, and what little water was still in her system was only being depleted faster from her crying. Every few seconds, her hand or eye would twitch; and he noticed that her eyes were light blue. Connor took a moment to observe her other physical features beside her injuries; Auburn hair, a little curvier than many humans, and a scar on one of her shoulders. Her health record stated that she tested positive for hypothyroid and a history of bronchitis, but otherwise nothing pre-existing to worry about.

All of this ran through his systems in a split second before he spoke up, “Would you like a glass of water?” he offered. 

She nodded, shaking hands taking the glass and lifting it to her mouth. She gulped down half the glass without taking a breath, a small smile hinted in the corner of her lips. “Thank you, Connor,” she spoke softly. The android felt a warm buzzing in the circuitry around his thirium pump when she said his name. 

“You’re welcome,” he replied, a million thoughts running through his mind. “Would you be alright answering a few questions? Or would you prefer to wait until your condition has stabilized?” He asked. Based on her expression, she seemed surprised by how bluntly he asked, and he suddenly felt the urge to say something reassuring. “You’re safe… no one is going to hurt you anymore.”

Autumn took in a few slow but shaky breaths, “How much do you already know?”

“We are aware that you worked with Mr. Thorn at the theater company, and thusly had interacted with his android before. A camera automatically detected and reported the assault outside of your home, and we decided to check this property after spotting the android in a vehicle in the area.” Connor explained. “We were… unsure if we would find you here, but I am very glad we did.”

Autumn nodded, “So… you don’t know the details of my relationship with Rodger or Jason?”

Connor’s LED flashed yellow; “Vaguely… we spoke with a few of the theater’s maintenance androids, but they had limited information on the matter.”

“Mr. Thorn… Rodger… I’ve known him for years. I studied under him, and he insisted on casting me in each of his shows. The first few times I felt special, and wanted. I received really good reviews, but…” Connor noticed her stress levels started to rise, but was afraid to interrupt in fear that he would make it worse. “But he was an angry man. He was violent, and harsh when he wanted to be.” She rubbed her wrists nervously; the feeling of uneasiness wouldn’t subside.

“And… Jason? Who is Jason?” Connor asked calmly.

She exhaled sharply, “The android you apprehended. Rodger’s android; he chose the name Jason. I used to run lines with him, and he wasn’t a bad scene partner for the most part. But… Rodger abused him, even at rehearsals in front of all of the cast. Knocking him over, ordering him to run through a scene over and over. I was in the theater when he… d-deviated.”

Hank stepped into the room, a regretful look plastered on his face. “Because the city is still so empty, an ambulance may not get here for another hour or so.” He scratched his head, looking between Connor and Autumn. “Miss Castle, the choice is yours: we can wait here, or I can give you a ride in my car. It won’t be comfortable, but we’ll get to the hospital faster.”

She took a moment to think, “I don’t mind riding in your car. I really appreciate it, officer.” She said.

“Hank, would you mind bringing the car around so she won’t have to walk as far?” Connor requested, turning back to Autumn. “We parked a few blocks away, and it’s still quite dark out.” 

“Thank you, but...” she said, nodding. “I wouldn’t mind walking for a bit. I’ve been tied to that chair for a while, I would like to stretch my legs, if you don’t mind.” She shifted around on the couch, preparing herself to stand up. Slowly, she got up, and took a few steps toward the front door that Hank was holding open for her. The two police investigators exchanged concerned glances, as they exited the house behind her. 

They walked slowly to the car, not wishing to go too fast for her. Hank’s long strides caused him to walk ahead a little, while Connor remained by her side to keep a close eye on her. He did another analysis: her vitals were doing better, but there was still a high level of emotional distress, it was also possible that she was in pain and did not wish to tell them. 

They were about a block away from the car when Connor sensed that her blood pressure dropped dramatically, and he leaned in to catch her before she collapsed to the ground. She began panting heavily, and Hank stopped and turned to see what was happening.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I don’t know what came over me.” She cried out weakly. She clutched at her chest, trying desperately to catch her breath. 

“The car is just ahead, I can carry you if you like.” Connor offered, and was given a nod in return before he steadied her a little and picked her up effortlessly. Hank walked ahead to the car to unlock and open the backseat door for her, and they allowed her to climb into the car on her own.

Connor returned to his spot in the driver’s seat, while Hank sat shotgun and kept an eye on the woman in his backseat. She put her legs up across the seat, sitting perpendicular with her back against the car door. She dozed off along the peaceful drive; the sounds of a few cars rushing past them along the highway. When they pulled into the hospital, Connor parked near the front drop-off entrance. 

“I’m going to go inside and see what the wait time will be like. If possible, maybe we can get Miss Castle something to eat while she waits to be seen.” Hank nodded, and stayed in the car. watching over Autumn.

She stirred, waking up slowly to the bright lights of the hospital parking lot. “You feeling okay, kid?” Hank asked, trying to be a little more friendly and casual.

Autumn rubbed her head and eyes, and hesitated in answering because she truly wasn’t sure. “I hope so…” she eventually uttered. She looked up at Hank, smiling a little. “Thank you again… for everything. What is your name again? Hank, right?” 

“Yup… Lieutenant Hank Anderson.” He looked out to window to see his partner coming back to the car. “What’s the verdict, Connor?”

Connor looked a little dissatisfied, which Hank knew was a bad sign. He opened the car door and sat back in the seat. “They are severely understaffed. They have offered to take a look at her vitals, but even I can do that. They won’t have time for a full examination until the morning.” Frustrated, he took a coin from one of the drink compartments and weaved it between his fingers as his thoughts processed rapidly.

Autumn’s face dropped, and looked up when Hank spoke again. “Ma’am, do you have anyone still in the city you can stay with? Or do you feel safe returning back to your home?” She shook her head sheepishly. “Ahhh, Christ….” he mumbled. “C’mon Connor, let’s get some food and head back to my place.”

Connor, confused, replied “But… what about…?”

“I ain’t leaving this girl in an over-crowded hospital or alone in her home where she was fucking abducted from. The only way I’ll be able to sleep tonight is if I know she’s safe, and my dinky house is plenty safe with both of us there, wouldn’t you say?” Hank argued. Realizing how loud he was, and turned to look at Autumn in the back seat. “Apologies for my language ma’am. You’re welcome to stay at the police station if you would like, but there’s a big comfy couch at my place that you are more than welcome to spend the night on.”

Caught in the crosshairs of such an unusual situation, Autumn thought for a moment before smiling and nodding. “I would like that very much.” A sigh of relief seemed to sweep over the inhabitants of the old car, and Connor pulled the car out of the parking lot to find somewhere to eat.


End file.
